C1 INHIBITOR DEFICIENCY IN A PATIENT WITH RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - INCREASED RISK OF ADVERSE-EFFECTS OF PENICILLAMINE

We report the coincidence of hereditary angioedema and rheumatoid arth ritis in a male patient and in his father. During treatment with D-pen icillamine the patient developed a transient lupus-like disorder with glomerulonephritis that resolved when D-penicillamine was discontinued . He later was diagnosed with malignant lymphoma. Impaired classical c omplement pathway function could have contributed to development of th e drug reaction.